How can I be more environmentally friendly

[Diorinthecountryy]

Looking for tips/ideas on how I can be more environmentally friendly within my home.

Thanks very much wise ones who live in my phone

There is a book called "Sustainable-ish" which I would recommend to anyone reading this thread - it's about all the things you can do or try to do without beating yourself up because you are not perfect. If everyone does something, we make a difference.

My key things would be:

Walk/cycle if you can (not always easy if eg throwing it down with rain, you have to carry something heavy or you are scared of getting your bike nicked). However, every journey you do on foot or a bike saves you from doing one in the car and reduces local air pollution.

Switch to a renewable energy tariff with someone like Octopus or Ecotricity - your electricity will be replaced on the grid by renewable sources.

Delete emails if you don't need them.

Eat less meat if you don't want to give it up altogether. If you are a better person than I am, reduce your dairy intake as well (I don't eat milk but I do like cheese).

Don't replace things if they don't need it.

Don't buy "stuff".

Don't leave your engine idling.

(the two above are probably easier with a cost of living crisis as you won't be wasting money anyway)

Actually the transport stage produces the lowest emissions, it’s the production stage that matters. It’s better to have imported plant foods than local animal foods.

pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es702969f

“, “buying local” could achieve, at maximum, around a 4−5% reduction in GHG emissions due to large sources of both CO2 and non-CO2 emissions in the production of food. Shifting less than 1 day per week’s (i.e., 1/7 of total calories) consumption of red meat and/or dairy to other protein sources or a vegetable-based diet could have the same climate impact as buying all household food from local providers.”

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181023110627.htm

“A new study provides a more comprehensive accounting of the greenhouse gas emissions from EU diets. It shows that meat and dairy products are responsible for the lion's share of greenhouse emissions from the EU diet.”

“The study found that meat and dairy account for more than 75% of the impact from EU diets. That's because meat and dairy production causes not only direct emissions from animal production, but also contributes to deforestation from cropland expansion for feed, which is often produced outside of the EU.”

“"People tend to think that consuming locally will be the solution to climate change, but it turns out that the type of product we eat is much more important for the overall impact," says IIASA researcher Hugo Valin, a study coauthor and Sandström's YSSP advisor. "Europeans are culturally attached to meat and dairy product consumption.”

Unfortunately the most environmentally conscious things you can do are boring and a bit of a fun sponge.

Stop buying new stuff unless it’s essential. Repair clothes where possible before replacing them. Wash them less often and at 30°.

Take holidays by rail or car rather than fly.

Don’t buy cute little beeswax wraps and microfibre cloths, use an upturned plate over things in bowls in the microwave or fridge and use old towels or those multi packs of cotton facecloths IKEA do for every paper towel or microfibre cloth job.

Batch cooking is more energy efficient. If you get takeaways, the clear plastic tubs curry comes in will usually last at least 5 or six re-uses in the freezer and microwave for batch cooked meals so don’t throw them out.

Don’t buy bottled water, if you must buy a soft drink when out buy a can not a plastic bottle and recycle it, switch to a glass bottles milk delivery if you have one locally, reduce meat consumption by 20%.

Time showers, turn the hot water temperature down a few degrees, put on a jumper before considering turning on heating.

Don’t buy Stuff. Most stuff is unnecessary. Use your library (or little free libraries if you have them near you), swap things via local Facebook groups, borrow or hire anything not needed often.

If something can be grown in season in the U.K. consider mostly only buying it then, and restrict buying asparagus from Peru in December (as an example). You’ll value and enjoy the seasonal stuff all the more.

Leave a section of your garden uncultivated, however small. It’s very valuable for wildlife.

Use mooncups or washable sanpro if you can. If not, at least make sure any tampons have cardboard rather than plastic applicators.

Thete are a lot more, but that’s a start.

Agree with the ideas already stated, especially reduce consumption of everything!

A couple of extra ideas I didn't see (apologies if I missed them, only skimmed the thread):
Cloth sanitary pads/period pants/mooncup
Miniml refills for shampoo and conditioner, washing up liquid etc (closed loop recycling system where you send back the refill pouches for free)
Use Ecosia for browsing
Use Olio to give away/borrow unwanted items and consider things like tool libraries rather than buying new for things you rarely need

So sorry I've had a crazy day at work. Will catch up with the comments

Thanks for starting this OP

I have picked up a few new tips and every little helps

You don't need to go vegetarian/vegan. If you tried and were unwell because of it. I wouldn't risk it again. It's not always the best thing to do x

Agreed re this book. It's straightforward and balanced

Don't fly short haul journeys within the UK. Take the train instead. Buy train tickets 12 weeks in advance for the cheapest tickets, that's the earliest they release them. We did central London to the centre of Edinburgh in just over 5 hours. Read, snoozed, had coffee and cakes and arrived all fresh. No getting to and from the airport or airport security. Nice!